By TATSUO KANAI/ Staff Writer
February 28, 2024 at 19:05 JST
Colorful rice crackers are drying out at a workshop in Shika, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Feb. 27. (Tatsuo Kanai)
SHIKA, Ishikawa Prefecture--A colorful patchwork quilt of rice crackers covered the floor of a family-owned workshop here to dry on Feb. 27, one month later than usual due to the New Year’s Day earthquake.
Kunio Shirayama, 80, and his wife, Fusako, 81, usually start drying rice crackers around Jan. 6.
However, the schedule was disrupted this year by water outages caused by the magnitude-7.6 quake.
Water returned to the couple’s workshop in early February, but they hesitated to resume production due to concerns that the warmer temperatures could lead to the growth of mold on the crackers.
“We nearly gave up this year, thinking it was too late,” said Fusako, who eventually decided to “give it a try anyway, even if we may fail.”
The couple has been making the crackers for three decades under the brand of “Noto Shika Arare,” which now has loyal customers nationwide.
The rice crackers are also offered as a gift to individuals who donate to the town of Shika through the nationwide “furusato nozei” tax redirection program.
Seasoned with just salt and sugar, the Shirayama’s rice crackers have a subtle sweetness and a simple, homey flavor.
Although the crackers are typically ready for shipment in March, this year the couple will continue drying them during the month, hoping they will be good enough for sale.
“With God on our side, we’ll be all right,” said Kunio. “I remain hopeful.”
Nara has a new way to stop its deer from eating plastic bags
September 24, 2020
Nara deer poop back to normal now that tourists are gone
June 27, 2020
Death toll from fire at Niigata rice cracker plant rises to 6
February 14, 2022
5 die, 1 missing in late-night blaze at Niigata rice cracker plant
February 12, 2022
Enthronement parade’s mega turnout leads to ordeal to view it
November 11, 2019
VOX POPULI: Chilly summer leaves ‘senbei’ makers yearning for more sun
July 12, 2019
Stories about memories of cherry blossoms solicited from readers
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
A series on the death of a Japanese woman that sparked a debate about criminal justice policy in the United States
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
